Challenges
by Konnichiwa Minna
Summary: Natsume's not the only one with a mask... Basically about their masks. A little interaction between Natsume & Mikan on a damp night. 2nd chapter is Natsume's POV, but quite similar to 1st chapter. R&R! NxM! [There's a sequel now, called Masked Identity!]
1. Masks

**Author's Notes: **My second fic ever and my first Gakuen Alice fic! Yay! Lol, I hope you will enjoy this story. It's quite bad, I know. But, I was bored. But beware, I wrote this from the top of my head, so I had no idea where it was headed or anything. So, basically, it's just a random fic. Unfortunately, there isn't much fluff. I want to make fluffy stories, but it's hard! If I try to make them fluffy, they'll become OOC! And I hate OOCness! Anyway, I really hope this isn't OOC, and if it is, please tell, me and I'll try to become a better writer! I really like compliments, but constructive criticism is really helpful, too. I want to do my best, so help me out here, will ya?

**Disclaimer: **Does it look like I own Gakuen Alice? Didn't think so.

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**-Challenges-**

**Masks**

**By: Konnichiwa Minna**

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The rain poured heavily. The sun refused to reveal itself, and remained masked behind dark gray clouds.

The mask reminded her of his. Natsume's mask.

The rain continuously pounded on her roof, as if to tell her something…

Mikan is usually thought of as dense. Most of the time she was. But not always. She, too, had a mask, but that mask didn't hide her true feelings, like Natsume's did. No, instead it hid her fears. Her sadness.

Mikan didn't really like to be alone. Because when she was alone, her mask fell off.

Today, was one of those days.

Mikan gazed out the window in deep thought. She missed her grandpa a lot. But, she also missed her parents… she never knew them, though. But she wished she did.

Mikan decided to force herself to think happy thoughts. She tried to think of Hotaru, Yuu, Nonoko, Anna, Ruka, Narumi, Tsubasa, Misaki, and everyone. But, somehow, her mind drifted to Natsume. She had known him for almost a year. Yet, he continued wearing his mask.

Mikan, started realizing that she deeply cared for Natsume. She knew that he had gone through a lot. She knew life had been hard and cruel to him, which is why she allowed him to insult her. She wanted him to feel better. Mikan was still upset and worried about the missions he goes on and his Alice. No one confirmed to her face that his Alice was the kind that shortened his life, but deep down, she had a feeling it was that kind. And so she wore her smile when she was with him.

Now that the rain had stopped and the sun shined, she figured she had better lighten her mood. No sense in making others around her worry.

She bounded off her bed and out the door, in hopes of finding her friends. Finding him.

She skipped along toward the Sakura tree, giggling.

There, she found him. Reading his manga.

"Why are you outside? It's still wet, you know," Mikan asked, giggling.

Natsume quickly glanced at her, then back at his manga.

"Hn. Why don't you ask yourself the same question, Polka Dot?" he mumbled, not in the best mood.

"Oh, so you're outside because you love the beauty of nature? That's why I'm outside!" she exclaimed, twirling about. She had usually pretended to be annoyed when he called her that, but she decided to let it slip for today.

"Baka," he muttered.

She plonked down, on the opposite side of the tree.

"Heh, I'm pretty sure you're just trying to mask your great love for Mother Earth! Or maybe you're hiding your love of cute little bunnies, lovely singing birds, or adorable tiny kittens! Admit it!" she laughed heartily. She was trying her best to lighten his spirits, because she could tell that he was troubled.

"What're you rambling on about, little girl?"

"You know what I said. And you didn't deny it either!" Mikan had changed. She wasn't quite as bad at comebacks and she could ignore rude comments more easily.

Natsume just sat there, silently reading his manga. He was more content now, just listening to her stupid voice, because he knew she was genuinely happy, compared to the past couple days, where something serious had appeared to be on her mind.

Mikan pulled herself up and walked toward Natsume. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him up with all her strength. She learned the hard way that he was heavy, but somehow, she still managed to succeed in pulling him up. She then tried to drag him, but…

"What are you doing?" he said in a somewhat pissed voice.

"You're following me, because I have to show you something," she answered, refusing to say anymore.

"Well, I can walk by myself. I don't need you to hold my hand."

"Fine, but if you don't come, then I will grab your hand again, and we will walk hand in hand," she said firmly, hiding her blush.

Reluctantly, he followed, and sighed audibly.

They walked along for a bit, and they ended up in front of Mikan's room.

"Why are we here, polka-dotted panty girl?"

She shushed him, and pushed the door open, then walked over to her window and heaved it open.

She climbed out, then reached back in, grabbed his hand, and tried imitating Natsume asking in a cold voice, "Are you coming, or do you want me to hold your hand?" That had always made Mikan feel stupid when he talked that way. Now, she had the upperhand as he appeared speechless, not expecting to hear Mikan speak coldly, like him, so well.

He coolly climbed out, looking extremely professional, compared to Mikan, who had struggled slightly.

She sat down, and patted the roof tiles next to her.

"Sit."

"I'm not a dog, baka," he replied, but still sat, regardlessly.

"I come here to think sometimes. It's very peaceful and relaxing."

"So you figured out how to think and how to be normal. Never thought I'd see the day," he smirked.

Mikan just bonked him on the head.

"Very funny," she smiled, despite the fact that he had insulted her.

They sat there for a while, neither really speaking much. It was just idle chitchat.

After a bit, Natsume stretched and stood up.

"I don't know why you brought me here, but the reason is probably stupid, like you, so I won't ask. I don't really care anyway." Abruptly, he climbed out the window, out her opened door, and closed it behind him.

Mikan beamed. She knew he enjoyed it, and that what he said before he left meant thanks in reality. She had gotten used to figuring out that things weren't always how they seemed.

Unfortunately, tonight she hadn't been able to take off his mask. Or her mask, either.

But, she decided to leave that to another day. Today would just be one of their small moments together, and even though it didn't seem special, it was, and it left her with one goal.

The removal of their masks.

After all, in the end, it wouldn't be fun without a challenge.

**The End.**

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**Author's Notes: **Please, constructive criticism! And compliments are nice, too! Oh, and if anyone likes Naruto, I have a twoshot for that! It's a Sasuke/Sakura pairing though. Lol, anyway, I don't bite, so review! If you review, you get cake! Yes, cake, 'cause everyone gives out cookies, so I want to give out cake instead! Whoa, I'm so random… Anyway, please leave a review!

_Konnichiwa Minna_

**Edit: **Thank you to the following reviewers:

- YAC

- BlackFlameLady

- ladalada

- JC-zala

- mountainelements

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND REVIEWS!**

**THEY MADE ME SO HAPPY!**

**:D**

**-X- By the way, I have started a sequel, so if you're interested, please read that, too! -X-**

**Also, I have created another chapter. It's the same events, but from Natsume's POV, so please read that!**


	2. Natsume's Perspective

**Author's Notes: **Hey, I decided to do a chapter from Natsume's POV. It's the same events as the last chapter, but instead from Natsume's eyes, so we get a little more depth and understanding from previous events in the first chapter. Basically, this is a sort of like a bonus chapter. I decided to make this because of my second Gakuen Alice fic, "Masked Identity," which is told from Natsume's POV.

So, I hope you enjoy this.

**Disclaimer: **Due to unfortunate circumstances, I was not named Tachibana Higuchi and didn't create Gakuen Alice. Boo hoo. :'(

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**-Challenges-**

**Natsume's Perspective**

**By: Konnichiwa Minna**

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The rain pounded around me heavily. I was drenched from head to toe, and had just arrived from another mission.

I stepped into the warm shower, and sighed from relief of finally completing the mission and getting away from Persona.

After, my refreshing shower, I grabbed my clothes and shoved them on. Grabbing my manga, I exited my special-star room, and headed to the Sakura tree. It was still damp and slightly foggy from the downpour, but a rainbow revealed itself slightly, reminding me of a certain pigtailed idiot.

I began reading my manga, when I heard footsteps. I glanced quickly to see who it was, and it just happened to be the bubbly polka-dotted panty girl.

I hadn't seen her much the past couple days. It seemed she had been moping for unknown, and probably unlogical and stupid, reason.

"Why are you outside? It's still wet, you know," the brunette questioned me, while giggling.

I stole another glance, and nonchalantly replied with a grunt.

"Why don't you ask yourself the same question, Polka Dot?" I mumbled, not in the best of moods due to my mission.

"Oh, so you're outside because you love the beauty of nature? That's why I'm outside!" the baka youjo exclaimed twirling around lamely, not seemingly annoyed even remotely.

"Baka," was all I muttered in response.

I heard her plonk down on the other side of the tree.

"Heh, I'm pretty sure you're just trying to mask your great love for Mother Earth! Or maybe you're hiding your love of cute little bunnies, lovely singing birds, or adorable tiny kittens! Admit it!" I heard her laugh heartily. She seemed in higher spirits today, which made my lips upturn just a tiny, tiny bit.

"What are you rambling on about, little girl?" I asked stoically, pretending to have not heard a single word that exited her lips.

"You know what I said. And you didn't deny it either!" she replied cheerfully. I noticed that she had changed ever so slightly. Now, she could come up with comebacks more frequently, and often managed to ignore most of my insults, instead of throwing a silly fit like before.

Instead of saying anything in response, I just laid back, continuing to read my manga. I wasn't in much of a bad mood anymore, because she had come along and had appeared to not be so upset as the previous days. That, in itself, was a miracle.

I heard her shifting on the other side of the tree, and she then appeared before me, grabbing my wrists. She tried to yank me up, but I could feel her failing miserably, so I sort of helped her lift me, by intentionally lifting myself. She began to attempt to drag me. Instead, I didn't follow and decided to question her actions.

"What are you doing?" I asked, in a fake pissed voice.

"You're following me, because I have to show you something," she answered, and I assumed she would say no more.

"Well, I can walk by myself. I don't need you to hold my hand," I said emotionlessly. Secretly, I had wanted to hold her hand, but I knew it might become awkward or she would get super mad on me once she realized. If she realized, that is. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, though, because she was really dense.

"Fine, but if you don't come, then I will grab your hand again, and we will walk hand in hand," she said firmly, and it seemed her face reddened slightly. Was she blushing?

But what surprised me more, was that she said such a bold thing. Usually, I would be the one to say something like that. Maybe she was growing up. But, I highly doubted that.

Reluctantly, I decided to follow. I was a tiny bit interested in what she was going to show me, but I made sure my face hid that thought well and sighed audibly.

We walked for a while, and eventually ended up in front of Mikan's one-star room.

"Why are we here, polka-dotted panty girl?"

She put a finger to her lips, pushed open her door, then walked over to the window and heaved it open.

She climbed out, struggling, then reached out, and grabbed my hand.

"Are you coming, or do you want me to hold your hand?" she attempted to ask in my cold voice. I was slightly stunned, but her voice betrayed what she had hoped to sound like. She sounded more _cute_, than anything. She failed a lot of things, I noticed. School was one of them. And her cold voice was another. But I continued to pretend to be slightly speechless, to give her a small boost in confidence or pride or whatever it was she was trying to acheive by using her 'cold' voice.

I coolly climbed out the window, professionally, seeing as I had done this many times during missions and such.

I watched her sit, and she patted the roof tiles next to her.

"Sit," she commanded me.

"I'm not a dog, baka" I replied, secretly slightly amused with her. Regardless of what I previously said, though, I sat.

"I come here to think sometimes. It's very peaceful and relaxing."

"So you figured out how to think and how to be normal. Never thought I'd see the day," I smirked.

She just bonked me on the head, in return for my comment.

"Very funny," she smiled, despite the fact that I had insulted her.

We sat there for a while, neither really speaking much. We talked a little about school and stuff, but really, it was just idle chitchat.

Somehow, though, I felt I made a strange communication. As though, unsaid words were spoken between us. I began to think of the clouds earlier today. They had been masking the sun. Just like how I masked my emotions and true feelings.

Maybe, she had a mask, too, I briefly thought.

And, maybe, just maybe, we would one day remove our masks...

I stretched and stood up.

"I don't know why you brought me here, but the reason is probably stupid, like you, so I won't ask. I don't really care anyway." Abruptly, I climbed out the window, out her opened door, and closed it behind me. Even though I said all that, I didn't really mean it. In fact, in a way, I was thankful. She had taken me out of my bad mood. And, she seemed more cheerful, which made me relieved.

I went to my room, which was engulfed in utter and complete darkness, and plopped myself on the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Before I nodded off to sleep, though, I thought one thing.

Maybe, we could remove any masks and face our obstacles head on. One day, I hope to accomplish this.

After all, there are always challenges in my life, so I can probably overcome this one.

No, I knew _we_ could.

**The End.**

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**Author's Notes**: Hope you liked this. It's kind of pointless, but oh well. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

If you notice any mistakes, don't hesistate to point them out.

Also, contructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!

So, review! Pretty please!

Thanks for reading!

:D

_Konnichiwa Minna_

**-X- By the way, as mentioned in the previous chapter, I have a sequel. So if you're interested, please check it out and review! -X-**

**I was going to delete this chapter, but it's kind of important to 'Masked Identity.' So, if you read this chapter, please, please review!**


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